Amos Masondo, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), is leading a high-level delegation of Members of Parliament to the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference, which will be held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from June 3 to 9, 2022.
The African Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is made up of 63 national and subnational legislatures with the mission of promoting and protecting the interests and perspectives of African Parliaments and countries within the Commonwealth and beyond, as well as gender equality, women’s emancipation, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy, and good governance.
The conference, which is being hosted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the CPA Africa Region Secretariat, will bring together 400 delegates, observers, and other participants from CPA Africa Region Member States such as South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Nigeria, Ghana, Eswatini, Cameroon, Namibia, Malawi, and Tanzania, as well as 16 sub-branches (nine from South Africa and seven from Nigeria).
The 52nd CPA – Africa Region Conference will study and share ideas and perspectives on how to improve democracy in Africa, with the topic “The role of African Parliaments in establishing an inclusive society to address growing insecurity in Africa.”
The conference began on June 6, 2022, at the Freetown International Conference Center in Aberdeen’s Bintumani Hotel.
The South African delegation will attend plenary and side meetings of various committees, including the Executive Committee, Commonwealth Women’s Parliament Steering Sub Committee, Constitutional Amendment Ad hoc Sub Committee, Regional Representatives Sub Committee, and Programme Planning and Finance Sub Committee, according to parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo.
“The high-level delegation includes the National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Lechesa Tsenoli, in his capacity as a Member of the CPA Executive Committee, usually referred to as a Regional Representative, as well as Speakers and observers from the provincial legislatures,” Mothapo said.
The South African delegation is expected to deliberate on the following topics, among others:
- Strengthening parliamentary visibility: Parliamentary efforts in resource allocation for purposes of executing its Constitutional mandate,
- Evolving and adapting new strategies for increased women participation in politics,
- The role of African parliaments in accelerating Intra-Africa Trade,
- Mobilising regional, international coordination and cooperation to respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics, and
- Drawing lessons from COVID-19 to build foundations for future pandemics.
According to rule 15 (1) and (2) of the Regional Conference Preparation Guidelines, the CPA Africa Branch of the South African Parliament is entitled to four delegates.
The CPA’s approved party representation formula for Parliamentary representatives for four delegates is: Amos Masondo, Chairperson of the NCOP, who will lead the delegation; Winnie Ngwenya, Commonwealth Women’s Parliament representative; Nomgqibelo Nkosi, member of the African National Congress; and Darren Bergman, member of the Democratic Alliance.
The South African Parliament, as a chapter of the CPA Africa Region, uses CPA workshops, seminars, and conferences to address challenges and issues of shared concern for the continent, according to Mothapo.
The CPA was created in 1911 as the then-Empire Parliamentary Association during a gathering of Heads of Government in Westminster Hall, and its affairs were overseen by the United Kingdom Branch.
Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom were the founding members.